DOMINION’S WAR HISTORIES

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25080, 11 January 1947, Page 7

DOMINION’S WAR HISTORIES

WORK BY LONDON JOURNALISTS FORMER OFFICERS WITH 2ND N.Z.E.F. LONDON, January 9. The engagement of two well-known New Zealand journalists now in London—Geoffrey Cox and Dan Davin — for literary work on certain sections of the Dominion’s war history was announced to-day by Major-General H. K. Kippenberger, the editor-in-chief Both writers, he said, had established reputations, and had long service as officers with the 2nd N.Z.E.F. Others would be engaged as required, including several authors living in New Zealand. Messrs Davin and Cox would have material collected by the War History Branch forwarded to them in London, although he believed the work would necessitate a visit later to New Zealand. “for the purpose of interviewing leading personalities and clearing up obscure points.” The war histories staff was well under way with its work, MajorGeneral Kippenberger continued. It was engaged simultaneously on the preparation of the basis of narratives for naval, military, and air operations. There would be about 30 individual unit histories, and others dealing with events—-political, social, economic, and industrial—in New Zealand during the war.

An appeal for material in private hands had met with a fairly good response, but Major-General Kippenberger indicated that further appeals would be made for additional docu- , ments. letters, and photographs relating to specific events and periods.